PART I: Reclamation  PART II: Forwards  PART III: Wingers  PART IV: Center Midfielders
Part V: Fullbacks

CENTERBACK

The story of the central defense is as much about the retirement of Josh Rogers as it is about the players who will be taking his place. More than just being a rock solid defender, it was Rogers’ vocal presence that helped organize everyone around him and gave the team its cohesion. Those who come after him may be more physically gifted, but their true test will be how well they can replicate his leadership.

First on that list is Seb Harris, who, after a ho-hum first season with City in 2014, broke out in a big way in 2015, starting it off with the late winner against Cleveland on opening night.

GOAL!!! @DetroitCityFC corner kick by Cyrus to Seb Harris 3-2 88″ @AFCCleveland pic.twitter.com/IydzTAhkb7

— NPSL Gameday (@NPSLGameday) May 16, 2015

His was a strong presence on the back line all season, both in the center and at times on the right. And, as hinted at above, his size makes him an excellent target and goal-scoring threat on every single set piece.

His likely partner will be Andre Morris, who just finished up his junior year at Michigan. Morris appeared in several games in the early part of last season, and, although he’s not as physically imposing as Harris, he’s a fine defender in his own right and completes what should be a quality starting four at the back.

After that, things get a little dicey. The only other centerback option currently on the roster is SVSU’s Omar Sinclair. He started every game for the Cardinals in 2015, and though he may be more at home on the right side, he does have enough size (6’0”, 170) to play in the center. I think that’s where he’ll end up because it’s where he’s most needed.

POSITION OVERVIEW

The lack of depth here is worrisome. During the player announcements, I expected to hear the names of at least two more centerbacks, but none ever came. Harris and Morris are a good starting pair, but if one of them gets hurt or if Morris leaves midway through the season as is customary for many of the UM players, this could become the team’s Achilles’ Heel. I’d be shocked if Ben Pirmann didn’t grab a couple more guys here to fill the position out, and hopefully we’ll see evidence of that at the Muskegon friendly on Saturday.

One Reason to Be Excited 😀

Harris and Morris are both experienced and have played together before. Once they get to know their starting goalkeeper, there shouldn’t be any serious issues in the heart of the defense.

One Reason to Worry 😕

Depth. See above paragraph.

Player to Watch

Similarly to Harris, Morris’ first year with City was okay but nothing spectacular. If he can come back and show a similar level of improvement as Harris showed last year, then Josh Rogers should be able to enjoy his time on the bench as an assistant coach rather than have to deal with calls for him to return to the field.

PART I: Reclamation  PART II: Forwards  PART III: Wingers  PART IV: Center Midfielders

FULLBACK

With the move to Keyworth and its wider field, fullbacks will play even more of a crucial role in the DCFC’s success than in the past. Fortunately, looking at the roster, I think this is the deepest and most talented crop that the club has ever had.

It all starts with Zach Schewee, one of three players remaining from City’s inaugural roster (Cyrus Saydee and Wade Allan being the others). He spent the vast majority of his early career at left back and then moved to the right for much of last year after the emergence of Alex Isaevski. As a solid defender who likes to get forward down the flank, he should thrive in the extra space at Keyworth. He’ll most likely start the year back on the left, while the right side should be manned by…

…Billy Stevens, a NY Red Bulls Academy product and former US youth national teamer. Stevens came to the University of Michigan with a healthy amount of recruiting hype and jumped into the starting lineup almost immediately. His bio states that he played as a centerback his freshman year and right back this past season; based on his size (5’9”, 165), I’d expect him to play on the right for City. Word from several Michigan Ultras (UM’s student supporter group for Men’s and Women’s soccer) who also happen to be in the Northern Guard is that Stevens is a ball of energy who feeds off of the emotion of the crowd. I think he picked the right place to spend his summer.

As alluded to above, Alex Isaevski followed up a promising 2014 with a monster 2015 season, flying up and down the left flank on a regular basis and often looking like the best player on the field not named Mellors-Blair. Unfortunately, he’s currently recovering from an injury and probably won’t be ready to go until the second half of the season at the earliest.

On the plus side, Ben Pirmann added another quality left back to the roster in Xavier’s Matt Nance. WARNING: the first part of the following video was filmed in Madison56erVision.

With Isaevski out for the time being, Nance should factor into the rotation right away. His brief highlight video suggests yet another attack-minded fullback, which should fit in well with the team’s philosophy.

POSITION OVERVIEW

With the all-around quality, this looks like it might be the strongest position on the team. Matt Nance may turn out to be the fourth-best option, yet he’d be a probable starter on nearly every other team in the NPSL Midwest. They’ll all play, and they’ll all be good.

One Reason to Be Excited 😀

Interchangeability. Schewee can play left or right, and if necessary, Seb Harris, Omar Sinclair, and Tyler Stephens can all fill in on the right. It would take multiple injuries to really put a dent in the position.

One Reason to Worry 😕

The injury to Isaevski is a downer, and if he can’t come back, or if he comes back at noticeably less than 100%, it would put a bit of a damper on what this position’s true potential could be.

Player to Watch

Billy Stevens – Along with all his other accolades, he won the 2015 “Ultra on the Field” award from the Michigan Ultras. If he truly thrives on atmosphere, putting him in Keyworth will be like letting a chubby kid loose in a Dairy Queen with a $100 bill and no adult supervision.

PART I: Reclamation   PART II: Forwards   PART III: Wingers

CENTER MIDFIELD

Center midfield has always been an area of strength for Detroit City, and despite the departure of two players – Latif Alashe and Kevin Taylor – who enjoyed loads of success with the club, that track record of excellence should continue in 2016.

Dave Edwardson has been an engine in midfield for three years running and is the odds-on favorite to become the club’s next captain. He typically plays a box-to-box role, with slightly more duties on the defensive end. That doesn’t mean he isn’t capable of contributing in the final third, though:

GOAL!!! @DetroitCityFC Captain David Edwardson to tie up the game 1-1 in 44′ v @LansingUnited @NGSDetroit @NPSLSoccer pic.twitter.com/PQ0THTjmXa

— Kelly Zirwes-Haapala (@KellyHaapala) May 31, 2015

His biggest challenge won’t be to maintain the level that he’s always played at; it will be to take on more leadership responsibilities if he’s indeed given the armband.

Next to him in the middle will be Troy Watson, a complete unknown at this time last year who ended up appearing in every single match and became an automatic starter by season’s end. He’s a pure defensive midfielder who relies on well-timed tackles and good positioning to break up attacks rather than physical intimidation and sliding in late. I’ve posted this what feels like a hundred times, but it just perfectly sums up what his game is:

He tracks down the attacker, eases him off the ball while staying on his feet, maintains possession with a basic dribble, and passes it out wide to start the attack going the other way. If guys like Deakin, Bautista, and Adkins are to truly shine, a big reason will be Watson winning balls in midfield and feeding them up top.

That’s not to say Edwardson and Watson are automatic starters with no competition, though. One newcomer who should challenge for time right away is Brett Nason, who started every game for Michigan in 2015 and was a top-50 prospect coming out of high school. He plays a defensive/holding midfielder role and looks a safe bet to see significant playing time.

The two other center mids on the roster both happened to have their finest moments of 2015 in the same match, June 20^th at Cincinnati. Matt Ybarra’s weak-footed thunderstrike drew City level at 1-1…

…and Danny Dragoi’s goal a few minutes later proved to be the game winner. It also resulted in one of the most iconic images in club history:

Many a brave young firetruck was confused on that day.

Back to the seriousness, Ybarra’s style is box-to-box, similar to Edwardson. While Dragoi is the oldest player on the team (34), he plays with energy and enthusiasm and likes to get forward. An excellent option to have on the bench or to make the occasional start.

POSITION OVERVIEW

While the center midfield won’t roll seven or eight deep as in some years past, this year’s group should be just fine. A possible bonus, Tommy Catalano played in the Windsor friendly on April 24^th and by all accounts acquitted himself well. If he rejoins the team, that’s just one more bullet in Pirmann’s clip.

One Reason to Be Excited 😀

Troy Watson’s growth over the course of last season was stunning. If he continues on that trajectory, he’ll be one of the best midfielders in the NPSL Midwest in 2016.

One Reason to Worry 😕

As with winger, there’s really not much to fret about here. I guess one concern is that with the Saints moving to Dayton, the local fire department there hasn’t been through a false alarm and might get caught off-guard come May 15^th.

Player to Watch

Dave Edwardson – If Troy Watson’s play from last year carries over, it might allow Edwardson more freedom of movement and we could see him chip in a few more goals and assists than in previous seasons.

PART I: Reclamation   PART II: Forwards

WIDE MIDFIELD/WING

There may be a good amount of overlap between forward and winger since several players are capable of playing both positions. Danny Deakin, Javi Bautista, and Spiro Pliakos could all end up bouncing from spot to spot, as could…

…Ali Al-Gashamy, a former Norway U-17 national teamer who, early in his career, bounced between several lower division clubs in Estonia and Norway (one move involving a €50,000 transfer) before landing at Gardner-Webb University. His stats haven’t been eye-popping, but GWU is one of the poorer teams in their conference, and judging from his highlight video he would’ve had double-digit assists if his teammates were better finishers.

From the above, he looks most comfortable out wide, taking on defenders in 1v1 situations. Q.E.D.:

I’m not sure if City has ever had a true winger with his combination of ball skills, speed, and ability to beat people off the dribble. Oh, and he was also in FIFA:

He should be an impact player whenever he touches the ball.

Joining him at the position are a pair who are well-known commodities. Cyrus Saydee, the silent assassin, is back for his fifth year. I feel like I write the same things about him every year, but that’s probably because he’s so damn steady and consistent: small (5’6”) but the most technically skilled player on the team, makes defenders look silly with his dribbling and ball-control, usually starts on the wing but drifts around the entire attacking midfield area to create chances. Having him combine with Deakin, Al-Gashamy, and Jeff Adkins should be a treat to watch.

After extensive action for City in 2013 and 2014, Adkins is back on a full-time basis after his college coach reportedly strongly insisted that he play for the Bucks last year. There’s little doubt where his heart is, though:

I like him best on the right wing where he can make attacking runs and cut inside to create havoc as demonstrated below:

And I might as well bust out this free kick gif from a couple of years ago because it’s just too pretty not to.

Finally, Tyler Stephens returns for another season. He can also play right back, but I think he’ll see most of his time at right midfield so I’ve listed him here. He didn’t see a ton of the field last year, so his role is probably that of a depth guy, to fill in wherever he’s needed. Started his college career at Oakland U before transferring to SVSU.

POSITION OVERVIEW

The wing was a problem area for City in 2015; Tommy Catalano never looked 100% comfortable out there, and once he left the team, even defensive mids Latif Alashe and Troy Watson got looks on the right side, with middling results.

We all know what we’re going to get with Saydee – excellent play, game in, game out – but the addition of Al-Gashamy and re-addition of Adkins are huge upgrades. Additionally, as mentioned in the intro paragraph, players like Deakin and Bautista could easily slide out wide depending on what type of lineup Ben Pirmann wishes to deploy.

One Reason to Be Excited 😀

There should be much more of an attacking threat from both sides than in 2015. This, coupled with Keyworth’s wider field, should help create a more balanced attack than just punting it up to WMB over and over again (even though that worked quite a bit).

One Reason to Worry 😕

I’m having a hard time coming up with one. Maybe finding enough playing time for everyone?

Player to Watch

Take your pick. Al-Gashamy, Adkins, and Saydee are all now in their early to mid-20s and coming into the primes of their careers. Each of them should be very good, and I expect one of them to have a monster year. I’ll randomly go with Adkins.

PART I: Reclamation

Note 1: All position previews address the roster as it currently exists.

Note 2: Since many players can play multiple positions, I’ve listed them at their primary spot (or at least what I think it is).

Note 3: Official DCFC Roster page is here. Sean Grogan’s incredibly helpful roster tracker is here.

FORWARD/STRIKER

Will Mellors-Blair’s performance in 2015 was arguably the best single season from a Detroit City player ever, and it’s highly unlikely that his production will be duplicated by any one player on this year’s roster. That may not be as much of a problem as it seems since Ben Pirmann has collected a good number of quality options to share the attacking responsibilities.

Tyler Channell saw a healthy amount of playing time in his first season with City, and after his monster college season – 19 goals, 14 assists, D-II Midwest Player of the Year – he’s primed to play a much larger role in 2016. At 6’2”, he’s one of the tallest players on the roster and a perfect complement to the smaller, speedier strikers.

One of those is Javi Bautista, who missed all but the very beginning and very end of the 2015 season with an injury. When healthy, he flashed a tantalizing combination of speed and finishing, and I believe he could’ve cut into WMB’s playing time if he’d been 100% all year.

He’s Baaaccckkk!!! Video @JaviBautista13 GOAL! @DetroitCityFC & Man Of The Match! Assist @bobbybudlong20 @NGSDetroit pic.twitter.com/jAufTu7Te9

— Kelly Zirwes-Haapala (@KellyHaapala) July 20, 2015

With some big-name newcomers, Javi seems like a bit of a forgotten man, but I expect him to be a major factor in City’s attack.

Unquestionably the biggest acquisition of the offseason was South Carolina’s Danny Deakin, formerly of Erie:

Okay, moving right along… Deakin is ranked as the #41 college player in the nation by Top Drawer Soccer and is a product of the Sheffield United youth academy.

He can play anywhere in the midfield or up top, but I’ve listed him as a forward because I project him to play mainly as an attacker in the hole behind the main striker and the center midfield.

Wherever he winds up, he’s an automatic starter from day one and a massive coup for the club.

Jordan Kalk, Tyler Channell’s strike partner at Saginaw Valley St., is another quality addition – his 20 goals led the Cardinals in 2015.

He had surgery at the beginning of April with a six week recovery time, so he’ll likely miss the early part of the season. When he returns, his nose for goal will only add to the wealth of available options.

Rounding out the position are Wade Allan and UDM teammates Spiro Pliakos and Tyler Moorman. Allan is one of three remaining players from City’s inaugural 2012 roster, a team leader who bleeds rouge and gold and will do whatever’s asked of him, be it starting, coming off the bench, or simply putting in work at practice. He’s also recently off the market. Ladies, please look elsewhere.

Pliakos is an intriguing prospect; as a UDM Titan, he was named Horizon League Freshman of the Year in 2014 and made all-conference first team this past season. He’s also ranked as the sixth-best player in the league by TDS. His high school recruiting highlights show that he’s a talented dribbler with deceptive speed. At 5’8”, his skillset appears similar to that of Bautista and Kalk, so he’ll probably face an uphill battle for playing time, especially early on. On the other hand…

…if he can do stuff like this on a semi-regular basis he might leapfrog some folks.

Tyler Moorman is the tallest forward at 6’3”. He was also part of the all-conference first team and led UDM with 7 goals. His size makes him a nice weapon to have coming off the bench; he can be an extra aerial threat if the team needs a goal late, or he can help hold the ball up and kill clock when they need to preserve a lead.

POSITION OVERVIEW

As is obvious to anyone who follows DCFC, Will Mellors-Blair will not be replaced by any single player. What Ben Pirmann has done is build a group of forwards that has, at first glance, more overall skill and depth than in the past couple seasons. I expect Channell, Bautista, and Deakin to get most of the playing time at the beginning of the season, but Kalk should make a real push once healthy. Pliakos and Moorman may have to wait their turn, but both possess the attributes to make them contributors as the season progresses.

One Reason to Be Excited 😀

The variety of options. WMB had a great year in 2015, but too much of City’s attack was focused on him. Not having a true #1 guy (at least at this point) should allow for a more balanced and varied approach and keep opposing defenders from keying on any one particular individual.

One Reason to Worry 😕

Kalk is currently recovering from surgery and Javi missed the bulk of 2015 with an injury. If there are lingering effects with one or both of them, this position suddenly looks a little thin. That could have a serious impact, especially on those two-game Friday/Sunday weekends.

Player to Watch

Deakin – for all the reasons listed above. Not to put too much pressure on him, but a player of his ability is one that could elevate a team from good to great. The only thing to do is figure out where he fits best into the lineup and let him go to work.